Theatre practitioners are unhappy that under the new MKN guidelines, live performances are allowed but must be held without a live audience. Photo: Filepic
With Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang effectively switching to the conditional movement control order (CMCO) from March 5-18, the National Security Council (MKN) has also updated its guidelines for live performances.
Under the new guidelines, all events, shows or live performances in the creative industry are allowed but must be held without a live audience.
Understandably, many arts and culture practitioners are unhappy with the guidelines. After all, cinemas are allowed to resume operations starting March 5 with a 50% capacity.
Iedil says he enjoys baking and selling cookies and wouldn’t mind doing it full time if no acting gigs come his way. Photo: Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin
This may be the toughest role that theatre/film actor Iedil Dzhurie Alaudin has ever played. For this one-man show, the 36-year-old plays a home baker.
Only, this is not a play or a film. For Iedil, baking and selling cookies under his home-based online business called Munchy Chewy is his newfound reality.
Before Covid-19 ruined a year’s worth of acting jobs, Iedil (who moved to Jakarta in 2016 after marrying Indonesian actress Prisia Nasution) had a steady work schedule.
The pandemic practically destroyed the 2020 calendar year for the arts and culture scene in Malaysia.
Despite countless festival cancellations, months of theatre closures and art event postponements, we can still look back at how a new, resilient and different creative world has emerged to give arts and culture practitioners a path forward.
KLPac, a beacon in the dark
The arts will find a way. Despite catastrophic financial losses, the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) still stands, thanks to well-wishers, donors, sponsors, the #SaveYourSeat initiative and KLPac’s staff who took several rounds of pay cuts, reveals a grateful Joe Hasham, its co-founder/ artistic director.